Electrical flashing apparatus



Jan 24, 1939- 'J. SCHMIDINGER ET AL ELECTRICAL FLASHING APPARATUS 2Sheets-Shet 1 Filed April 19, 1935 in! 2 5565K .R M M 4 Y 0 E T/R N mmWm VMH NH 0 w i a A e aw E E Y m L Jr.

Jan.'24, 1939. .1. s cHMlD lNGER El AL 4,

ELECTRICAL FLASHING APPARATUS Filed April 19, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HINVENTOR Jose/ah 5c/7m/d/n9 er.

ATTORNEY ?atented Jan. 24, 1939 I 2,144,640 ELECTRICAL FLASHINGAPPARATUS Joseph Schmidinger, Long Island City, N. Y., and Clyde (3.Bohner, Maplewood, N. J.

Application April 19, 1935, Serial No. 17,240

4 Claims.

Our present invention relates to a flashing device for incandescentlamps and comprises an improved combined lamp and flasher elementtherefor that is rapid in operation and economical its other end to themovable end of the resilient member l2, and a resistance coil 65electrically connected between the annular container 2 and theincandescent filament l8 of the lamp. Re-

to manufacture. The invention includes also a sistance l6 serves as aheater for the expansible I flasher device that may be used for flashingone Wire 54 and also as a series resistance for the or a plurality oflamps. incandescent filament i8. Filament i 8 is con- In U. S. PatentNo. 1,998,823, dated April 23, nected at one end by means of a lead wire20 to 1935, we have disclosed and claimed a combined one terminal 22 ofthe base 4 and at its other flasher and incandescent lamp which isparticuend by means of a lead wire 24 to the resistance larly suitablefor use as a flashing stop light for it. Lead wire 25 at the point ofemergence into automobiles. The device of the present inventhe annularchamber within member 2 is election, While having certain features incommon trically insulated from the base 4 and container with that of ourco-pending application, difiers 2 by means of an insulating strip 26.Contact therefrom in that it is relatively simpler and 8 is carried bylead wire 24 and is positioned cheaper to manufacture, in that it maybe,posi to-be engaged by contact it when wire l5 expands tioned entirelywithin a lamp bulb and in that sufiiciently under the influence of heatradiated thexexpansible wire controlling the operation of fromresistance coil it to permit movement of the flasher is heated byradiation rather than by the resilient member l2.. Member i2 is ofspring the passage of electric current therethrcugh. metal andpreferably is curved about its longi- The present device, like that ofour co-pending tudinal axis,.convex toward the wire, to insureapplication, operates by shunting a resistance in hinge-like movementabout the point of contact series with a lamp filament and thus avoidswith the container wall. The spring member I2 sparking incident todevices which operate by tends to move against the tension of wire l4into opening and closing a circuit. contact closing position.

For an understanding of the invention refer Container 2 ispreferablysoldered to the base ence may be had to the accompanying drawings 4 toinsure good electrical contact therewith and of whicha to insurecontinued alignment of contacts 8 and Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectionalview taken along Ill. A suitable cover for the annular container 2 theline Il of Fig. 2 of a combined incandescent is shown in Fig. 211, ascomprising an upper horilamp and flasher element therefor in which thezontal wall portion 21 in the form of a ring split flasher element islocated within an annular into halves at 28 and 29; and a vertical wallseemember mounted on the base of the lamp, tion 30 integral with thehorizontal wall section Fig. 21s a vertical section along the line 2-- 2of and in the form of a cylinder split at 29. The Fig. 1, walls of thecover are preferably of metal and are Fig. 2a is a detail view inperspective of the thin enough to permit the side wall to bend aboutcover for the annular member of Figs. 1 and 2, the point 28 when theparts of the cover are Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a combinedspread to pass around the lower portion of the incandescent lamp andflasher element therefor bulb 8. When the cover has been brought into inwhich the flasher element is located within the position over thecontainer 2 the spread apart lamp bulb, and portions are brought intocontact and soldered Fig. 4 is a verticalsectional view of a separate orwelded together. flasher for use in connection with one or moreAfter'assembly of the various parts within the external incandescentlamps. container, but before the cover is applied, adjust- Theconstruction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 2a ment of the flasheroperation may readily be is that preferred for small lamps, such asautoeffected by varying the 'tension of wire l4 while mobile stoplights. In this construction the current is passed through the device.When flasher element is carried within an annular conproper operation isobtained the end of the wire ducting member 2 mounted on the base 4 ofa. is Welded or soldered to the container wall and lamp bulb 5. Theflasher element includes a pair the cover positioned.

of contacts 8 and ill, a resilient member l2 havi'ng one end mounted onthe vertical wall of the annular member 2 and carrying on its movableend the contact 10, an expansible wire M see cured at one end to thecontainer Wall and at When the base 4, which in the particularembodiment of the invention illustrated, is of the bayonet type, isplugged into a socket and the normal operating potential difference isapplied across the terminal 22 and outer conducting wall of the base,current fiows through conductor 20,

filament l6, conductor 24 and resistance i6 back Thus resistance l6 tothe container and base. will be connected in series with the filamentacross the lamp terminal and will limit the current through the filamentto a value insufficient for incandescence. Heat, radiated fromresistance l6 during the passage of this current therethrough, causeswire l4 to expand sufiiciently to permit spring member l2 to move tocontact closing position where resistance i6 is shunted by member l2 andthe current through the filament consequently increased andthetemperature thereof raised to that of incandescence. The shunting ofresistance l6 reduces the heat radiated to wire l4 and permits it tocool and contract. The contraction of the wire draws spring l2 back toits initial position where contacts 8 and Iii'are out of engagement.This cycle of alternate dimming or extinguishing and lighting of thelamp continues as long as potential difference is applied across theterminal of the base.

By utilizing a fine wire with its corresponding small heat capacity, arapidity of operation, is obtained which couldnot be obtained with forexample the bi-metallic type of heat responsive elements. Bi-metallicelements have a relatively larger metallic body and, depending as theydo upon distortion for their controlling effect, are necessarily slowacting.

Where small flashing lamps are desired, the above describedconstruction, where the flasher parts are located in the annularcontainer carried on the base of the lamp is preferred. For largerlamps, a relatively simpler and preferred embodiment of the invention isthat illustrated in Fig. 3

wherein the flasher elements are incorporated within the lamp bulb.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 3, the lamp bulb 32 is providedwith three conducting support rods 33, 34, and 35 mounted in the pressof the bulb. Support 35 carries the fixed contact 36 of the device. Thefilament 38 of the lamp is connected across supports 33 and 35 and theresistance coil 40 is connected across supports 34 and 35. Spring member42 carrying the movable contact 44 on one end thereof is secured at itsother end to support 34. Expansible wire 46 is secured between thesupport 34 and the contact carrying end of spring 42 so as to prevent,when cold, movement of spring member 42 to contact closing position.Support 33 is electrically connected by lead 48 with a terminal 56 ofthe base 62 .of the lamp and support 34 is electrically connected bymeans of lead 54 to the other terminal 56 of the base. The circuit ofthe device of Fig. 3 and the operation thereof will be clear from thedescription given in connection with the embodiment of the inventionillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. When the base is inserted into a socketand a. potential difi'erence applied across the terminals 66 and 66,current, insufiicient to cause incandescence of the filament, fiowsthrough the filament and resistance in series; the circuit being fromterminal 66 through lead 54, support 34, resistance 46, support 35,filament 36, support 33, and lead 46 to terminal 60. Expansion of wire46 under the influence of the heat radiated from resistance 46 permitsspring 42 to bring contact 44 into engagement with contact 36 whereuponresistance 46 is shunted by the spring member and substantially the fulllamp voltage is impressed across the filament until the subsequentcontraction of wire 46 causes reopening of the contacts. As in thedevice of Figs. 1 and 2 the fineness of the expansible wire will insurerelatively rapid operation of the flasher,

If the surface of the resistance coil is electrically insulated, as forexample by spraying with ceramic or other suitable insulating ma-'terial, the expansible wire may be positioned within the coil along theaxis thereof as indicated in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 4 a flasher suitable for operating any number of lamps connectedin series therewith is illustrated. This flasher differs from thecombined flasher and lamp of Fig. 3 substantially only in the omissionof the incandescible filament and the additional conducting supporttherefor. As shown, the flasher comprises a bulb 58 mounted in a base 60having terminals 62 and 64, a pair of conducting supports 66 and 68electrically .connected with terminals 62 and 64 respectively, aresistance coil 10 connected across the supports 66 and 68, a springmember I2 1 mounted on support 66 and carrying a contact 14 on theremote end thereof adapted to engage the fixed contact 16 on support 68and expansible wire 16 connected to support 66 and the contact carryingend of spring member 12.

In operation current flows through the resistance 10 until expansion ofwire 16 under influence of the heat radiated from resistance 16, permitsspring 12 to bring contact 74 into engagement with contact 16 whereuponthe resistance i0 is shunted by spring member 12 until the subsequentcontraction of wire 16 causes reopening of the contacts. Thus a lampconnected in series with the terminals of the flasher of Fig. 4 wouldhave its filament current periodically varied as the series resistance16 was alternately cut in and out of the circuit by the successiveopening and closing of the flasher contacts.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the spring members carrying the movable contacts havebeen indicated in the drawings as being fiat leaf springs. It will beunderstood however that the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,wherein curvature along the longitudinal axis imparts additionalstiifness to the spring member may be employed in each of theembodiments illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 if desired.

In the case of the constructions illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4,adjustment of the tension of the expansible wire is effected prior tothe sealing of the press carrying the conducting supports into the bulb,preferably while a potential diiference is applied across the supportsbetween which the heater is connected.

Our invention has now been described with reference to the particularembodiments illustrated in the drawings. In each embodiment, theelements of the relatively quick acting and simple flasher include anexpansible, relatively fine, wire which, when cold, prevents theshunting of a resistance and which. when subjected to the heat radiatedfrom that resistance expands and permits shunting of the resistance. Ineach of the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the combinedflasher and lamp may be inserted within a standard socket to operatestood that the invention in its broadest aspect is' not limited to theparticular constructions illustrated as various changes might be madetherein I 9,144,640 without departing from thescope oi the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The combination in a flashing device of an electrical resistance,means for shunting said resistance, said means including 'a resilientmember biased toward shunting position and an expansithe press of thebulb and electrically connected to said terminals, an electricalresistance connected between said supports, a resilient conductingmember mounted on one of said supports and extending at anangletherefrom toward the other of said supports, a contact carried on themovable end-oi said resilient member, a contact on said other one ofsaid conducting supports positioned to be engaged by said first contactand an expansible wire secured at one end to the support carrying saidmember and at its other end to the movable end of said membe said wirebeing positioned to be influenced by heat radiated from said resistanceand being tensioned to prevent movement of the end of said member intocontact closing position when the wire is cold and to ipermit suchmovement when expanded by heating whereby, when a potential diflerenceis impressed across said terminals said resistance is intermittentlyshunted by said resilient member.

3. The combination in a flashing device of an electrical resistance,means including a strip of spring metal having one end fixed against'movement, for shunting said resistance and an expansible wiremechanically preventing, when cold, movement of said strip to shuntingposition,

said wire being positioned to be influenced by heat radiated from saidresistance upon passage of current therethrough, said wire having oneend fixed and its-other end secured to the movable end of said strip andsaid. strip for a substantial length thereof being of a curved crosssection, convex toward said wire. whereby said strip upon contractionand expansion of said wire moves substantially throughout its length.

4. The combination in a flashing device of an electrical circuitincluding an electrical resistance and a pair of contacts adapted whenclosed to shunt said resistance, means including a resilient memberconstantly tending to close said contacts, and an expansible wirepositioned to be influenced by heat radiated from said resistance uponpassage of current therethrough, said wire when cold mechanicallypreventing closure of said contacts by said-resilient member;

JOSEPH BCHMJDINGER.

CLYDE C. IBOHNER.

